Nova Scotia Biodiversity Caucus: June 2025 Meeting

Join the Nova Scotia Biodiversity Caucus for our bimonthly online caucus meeting to connect with passionate individuals and organizations dedicated to protecting Nova Scotia's biodiversity!

The Nova Scotia Biodiversity Caucus is a collection of ENGO representatives and individual citizens who meet regularly to network, collaborate, combine resources, and advance shared priorities. Our mission is to connect organizations and individuals, fostering collaboration to protect, strengthen, and enhance biodiversity in Nova Scotia.

If you'd like to learn more about the Nova Scotia Biodiversity Caucus, check out our webpage. If you have any questions about the caucus, feel free to reach out to us at biodiversity@nsenvironmentalnetwork.com.

We hope to see you there!

Date & Time
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location
Online via Zoom
A meeting link will be sent to those who register.

Meeting Priorities
Receive guest speaker presentation.
Launch caucus citizen science project (Bioblitz) and discuss priorities for the summer months.
Share ideas/updates on biodiversity-related initiatives across the province.
A meeting agenda will be sent to those who register.

Guest Speaker Presentation

Join us for a presentation on the Community-Oriented Coastal Observatory (COCO), a citizen science network currently in development as part of PhD research at Dalhousie University. COCO is designed to engage local communities in collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) from coastal waters, providing an innovative way to monitor marine animal populations along Nova Scotia’s Atlantic coast.

As marine species shift due to climate change, widespread participation in eDNA sampling helps create a clearer picture of how these changes are unfolding—where, when, and how fast. This talk will introduce the concept of eDNA, highlight the importance of community involvement in coastal monitoring, and share opportunities for groups and individuals to get involved.

Come learn how citizen science can empower coastal communities and contribute to a deeper understanding of our changing ocean ecosystems.

Guest Speaker
			Samantha Beal PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University Samantha is a PhD Candidate at Dalhousie University studying aquatic biodiversity in Nova Scotia. Their research focuses on identifying which species are currently present, how today’s communities compare to historical records, and how these communities are expected to change in response to climate change. Samantha’s work combines environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, citizen science, and species distribution modelling to assess biodiversity across both marine and freshwater (lake) ecosystems in the province.